| 1082 NOTICE
Any person that can give information of Thomas J. Tucker, will confer a favor on the second Quorum of Seventies, as his name is registered on their book. He has never shown his face to their meetings, Done by order of
EDSON BARNEY, Pres.
B. W. Elliott, Clerk.
City of Joseph, December 17, 1815.
From the Tribune
JEWISH RITES-BAPTISM.
New York, Nov. 20, 1845
M. M. Noah, Esq.,
Dear Sir: While reading your very interesting illustrations of Hebrew laws and usages, published in The Tribune, I was rather surprised to meet the declaration that baptism was a Hebrew rite; and I beg leave to say that I shall be gratified by being enabled to see the evidences of the fact, and to have your opinion of the origin of the rite. My attention having been directed to the investigation of the Ancient Mysteries, have become satisfied that a species of Baptism was practised [practiced] therein, before the foundations of the Hebrew Commonwealth, in India, Egypt, Greece and Britain; and as those Mysteries, in the remote antiquity of their institution, were intended to preserve a pure worship of the Deity, and the transmission of the traditions of the early ages of the human family, the ritual must have had one common origin, but I was not aware that baptism had been incorporated into the Jewish rites.
There is also another point which I wish to understand better. It is this: "If she still refused to change her faith, or become a proselyte of the gate, or to observe the seven precepts of the sons of Noah;" &c. What are the seven precepts referred to, and whence were they derived? The old Constitutions of the Freemasons speak of the "three principles of Noah," and it seems probable that the three and the seven descend from the same source. Undoubtedly many of your sources of information are contained in what to me are sealed books, or I would only trouble you for the references, and hope you will pardon me for thus attempting to give you additional labor.
I am, dear sir, respectfully yours,
JAMES HERRING,
Grand Sec'y Grand Lodge S. N. Y. Howard House, N. Y.
M. M. Noah's Reply.
I shall proceed cheerfully to reply to Mr. Herring's questions seriatim.
Circumcision ands baptism were the initiatory rites for the admission of Hebrew children into the established religion; and these two rites were inseparable from the earliest periods, but they are not both of the same divine authority. The impression I know prevails, that baptism received its original form, and derived its observance from the apostle John, who baptized Jesus in the Jordan, but it is evident that the baptism by John was the induction to a new faith and not a new practice, Jesus, born a Jew, had received the initiatory rites in infancy, and understood them well;. Maimenides-great authority always among Jews and Christians, as a wise interpreter of the law- says, (Issue Biah Cap. 13.) Israel was admitted into the covenant by three things: by Circumcision, by baptism and by sacrifice. Circumcision was in Egypt, as it is said, none uncircumcised shall eat the passover. Baptism was in the wilderness, before the giving of the law, as it is said, "Thou shalt sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their garments;" and sacrifice as it is said, "and he sent the young men of the Children if Israel, and they offered burnt offerings, they offered them for all Israel."
The origin of baptism dated from the time of Jacob, when he received into the church the young women of Sichem, and other heathens who lived with him. Jacob said to his family, (Gen xxxv. 2,) and to all that were with him, "put away from you the strange Gods and be ye clean, and change your garments." Eben Ezra, also a great authority, applies the words "be ye clean" to the washing and purification of the body;-hence the origin of baptism.
It is certain that heathens who become converts to the religion of the Jews, were admitted by circumcision, and baptism was inseparably joined to it.
"Whenever," says Maimenides, "a Heathen is willing to be joined to the covenant of Israel, and place himself under the wings of the Divine majesty, and take the yoke of the law upon him voluntarily, Circumcision, Baptism, and Ablution are required." This practice continued to the reign of Solomon; but at that period, other nations became proselytes in such vast numbers that they were received by baptism or washing only. Some time elapsed, say thirty days, between circumcision and baptism, in order to give time for the wound to heal; the child was then brought to a running stream, called "gathering of the waters," and plunged in. If a man, the Triumviri or the Judicial Consistory charged with this duty, when placed in the water, instructed him in some of the weightier obligations of the law, and plunged him in, so that every part of the body was immersed, not the tip of a finger was (page1082) |
